


MV 19 Suspicion Redux

by katbear



Series: Master's Voice [19]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Real World, Angst, BDSM, Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 13:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13952100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katbear/pseuds/katbear
Summary: The green-eyed monster makes an unexpected return visit.AR characters Quilan Finn/Ben Kennan.





	MV 19 Suspicion Redux

_ Near the End of March _

 

"Mmmmm…" Ben took a forkful of the meat and potatoes, put it in his mouth and slowly chewed. "This stuff is amazing, ma'am. Is that some new spice I detect?"

"A few new things to liven up that old stew recipe," said Jane. "It's easy to fix and freezes well, so I try to make it several times a winter."

"Definitely a winner in my book, too." Qui nodded. "Thanks for putting this all together so early. 'Tis great fortification for all that work I'm sure Sandy will have us doing today."

Ben and Qui had wangled a rare Friday off together so they could spend the afternoon doing 'spring cleaning' at the UPA offices before staying to help with the first night of a fundraiser. They were both looking forward to seeing Sandy Miller and her crew again; it had been at least three months since they'd had time to volunteer there. Jane had helped by offering to fix a hearty lunch for them. Overall, Ben was in a good mood – his taxes and financial aid forms were turned in, things were going well at work with their new guy and he was expecting to hear from the university soon on his application to start in the fall session.

It was almost two-thirty when the old truck pulled into the snowy parking lot. Ben and Qui carefully walked to the nondescript three-story building, pausing inside the entrance to shake off the cold.

“Why don’t you be going on up,” said Qui. “I need to be seeing somebody here for a few minutes.”

“Yeah, sure. No problem.”

Ben headed for the bank of elevators, watching as Qui’s long strides quickly took him down to the end of the hall toward the small auditorium that occupied the end of the first and second floors. The elevator was notoriously slow, as usual, so Ben was reading the event announcement board as he waited.

A name caught his eye.

“Wait a minute,” he muttered. “Barklay… Rebecca Barklay… where have I heard that name?”

Ben looked more closely at the board. Winter Biology Conference. Featured speakers – he skipped over the first few. Dr. Rebecca Barklay, Director, Fish and Wildlife Biology Department, University of Montana.

“I did meet her, twice.” His mouth twisted as he remembered the second time. She had come out of Qui’s old house that summer morning he had made such a total ass of himself over her and Qui. “I thought Qui said he was finished with her.”

A clatter to his left drew Ben’s attention. The double doors had opened and people were starting to stream out. He glanced at the schedule and realized the conference must be over, and the attendees were leaving. He stood indecisively as the elevator finally announced its arrival. He flicked his eyes to the left, and his jaw tightened.

Ben walked close to the wall as the stream of people slowed to a trickle. He slipped inside the auditorium and took a seat in the semi-dark back row.

Down in front of the stage, Qui and Rebecca stood face to face chatting as the last few people wandered up the aisles. Ben couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they were close, heads leaning toward each other. Qui pulled something out of his pocket and offered it to her. Rebecca smiled, took it, then shook out the shimmering scarf, which she wrapped around Qui’s neck, tucking the ends under his shirt before putting a playful finger on his nose.

Ben knew he didn’t really have any business being there, but the scene before him was like a hot poker stirring the ashes of his jealousy as he slouched down into the chair. When they both smiled and held each other in a long kiss, the embers flared into hot life. He didn’t want to see any more and silently tiptoed out.

Ignoring the elevator, Ben trudged up the three flights of stairs. His earlier good mood was shattered, his soured feelings only partially relieved by Sandy’s happy greeting and hug.

Qui showed up several minutes later, and after exuberantly greeting him, Sandy put both men to work preparing for the evening fundraiser.

For the next few hours, they cleared out old trash and expired snacks from the supply room. They hauled up new donations from two trucks, opened, sorted and stored what would not be needed that night. More volunteers began arriving to help them set up the phone-bank rooms.

Ben couldn’t help glancing at Qui every so often. He still wore the scarf Rebecca had put around his neck. After a closer look, Ben realized he had seen that scarf before as well. It was the one Qui had used the night they had experimented with putting on a blindfold and different physical sensations. That memory made his stomach twist. He became more curt and surly, his answers to Qui’s attempts at conversation short and abrupt, tossing off a quick “Need to get this work done” as his excuse for not talking. Even his visit to the control room where he would be working later, a place he usually enjoyed, only momentarily lightened his ill humor.

At six, Ben was putting the finishing touches on the snack table in the phone room, getting the big coffee urn started and water bottles laid out. Qui’s laugh caught his attention, and he turned around.

The ‘Lavender Brigade’ had arrived. That was Ben’s private nickname for the large group of older women who were one of the staunch supports of the UPA program. They all seemed to use some form of lavender powder, lavender perfume, even lavender flowers. The group had captured Qui and he was flirting outrageously, distributing compliments and hugs as they smiled and giggled. It was all too reminiscent of the first time Ben had met Qui at UPA and thought he was too straight to be within his reach, a painful time in his life. He started to escape out the door, but it seemed his face must have allowed some of his emotions to escape as Qui broke away and caught him outside in the empty hallway.

“Hey, how’s my boyo doing tonight? Fine turnout for the fundraiser, I’m thinking.”

Ben knew his jealousy was turning ugly, but couldn’t seem to stop himself as Qui adjusted the scarf around his neck. His temper flared and he bit out a cold reply.

“Yeah, right, great. I’ve got to go to the sound room, so why don’t you stay here and enjoy your lady friends.” He turned on his heel, catching a glimpse of Qui’s hurt expression before he stomped away.

Ben made his way to the control room. For a little while, he was able to lose himself in the comforting atmosphere of the technical domain, needing to pay close attention to the schedule for the radio and television productions he had been assigned to help with and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow techies.

About nine, Ben had a longer break as he switched off duties to one of the interns and was then supposed to work with the phone bank for a while. He went out in the long hallway, intending to hit the restroom and walk around a little bit.

“You. Supply room. Now.”

The familiar voice from behind him made Ben stop short. “What?” Before he could get out another word, he found his arm had been grabbed and he was hustled down the hall.

“What’s going on?” demanded Ben as Qui locked the door.

“That’s what I want to be knowing.” Qui stood in front of the door, arms across his chest. “You were in a great mood when we left the house, but once we got to UPA, you’ve been frowning and snapping like someone pissed on your party. So what the bloody hell is the problem?”

Ben stood, lips pursed and jaw tight. He knew his jealousy wasn’t right, but after all the things they had talked about, being in love with each other and making their relationship work, and the goddamned bastard was out kissing women. That wasn’t fucking right either and it was eating him inside, like acid drops on his emotions.

“You don’t have a clue, do you?” Ben felt his lips twisting into a sneer. “I thought we had something special, but maybe I was just being stupid and naïve that you weren’t still into women.”

“I told you up front that I still like women. But I love you, ya eejit. That’s something altogether different. And I still don’t know what your fucking problem is.”

That was irrational fuel for the fire and Ben blurted out hurtful words. “You asshole. I saw you down there kissing that Barklay woman. That was no friendly peck on the cheek. You two were down each other’s throat and close enough you shoulda been finding a bed.”

Ben didn’t quite know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the eye roll and disgusted laugh his mate gave.

“Rebecca? You’re that pissed off about her? All the bloody frigging saints help us, if you were in the auditorium why didn’t you say something? Or even come down to meet her?” Qui advanced until he was standing directly in front of Ben. “If you’ve got a problem, or even just think you’ve got a problem, why didn’t you just fucking say so?”

“Alright, dammit, yeah, I’ve got a problem. What the hell were you doing with her?”

“Seems to me we’ve got a couple of problems here that we need to be getting sorted,” said Qui softly as he moved even closer, almost touching Ben, but leaving his arms at his sides. “I’ll be happy to tell you about Rebecca Barklay, but first, and to my way of thinking, the bigger problem, is the issue of our relationship and trust. If one of us is feeling that there’s a problem, we need to have enough faith in our relationship to be willing to ask questions. And trust that the other one will answer honestly. It bothers me that this apparently didn’t happen tonight. Does it bother you?”

The retort on Ben’s lips died as his mate’s words sank in. He was still feeling the jealousy poking him with sharp needles, but his anger was drowning in Qui’s damned reasonableness. Ben stood still, breathing through his nose, as he tried to sort out his feelings. Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn’t quite meet Qui’s eyes.

“Well… uh, yeah.” Ben bit his lip. “I wasn’t thinking. I just, I dunno, reacted to what I thought I saw. I’m sorry.” He swallowed hard, feeling every bit the eejit Qui had called him.

“Ben, it’s alright. I still love you. That’s what’s important.” Qui sighed. “And I’m thinking maybe I could have been doing things a bit different myself. I knew you get jealous and I didn’t want to be dealing with that. So I didn’t tell you I was going to stop and say good-bye to Rebecca. I’m sorry about that.”

“Huh?” Ben’s jealousy flamed up again in a skeptical spike. “That was a ‘good-bye’ kiss?”

“’Twas,” said Qui with a finger to Ben’s chest for emphasis. “And there’s a couple of things we both need to be remembering from this, so I want you to listen to me.” He waited with almost a glare on his face.

The room was silent for a moment as Ben tamped down his emotions. “Okay. I want to hear this.”

“You remember I told you how Rebecca and I lived together for a year. We loved each very much and almost got married.”

“Yeah. I remember.” He buried the tart ‘how could I forget’ comment before it came out.

“When we broke up, it was still as very good friends. There were certain… expectations, I suppose you’d be calling them, about our relationship. When she came here for a conference, she called me, assuming those expectations were still in place. Rebecca was a very important part of my life, and I was feeling that I owed it to her to let her know I’d found somebody else so we wouldn’t be doing that anymore. If you’d bloody well asked or come down to join us, you would know all that. She gave me this scarf as a birthday present,” Qui touched the gossamer material around his neck. “I knew it was expensive and a bit of a family heirloom, so I offered it back to her. She told me to keep it as a memento of what we once had.” He smiled and raised one eyebrow. “And if you had any idea of how that woman can kiss when she puts her mind to it, you’d know that, for us, that was not exactly the ‘burn the house down’ spectacle you seem to be thinking it was.”

“Oh.” Ben stared down at Qui’s shirt. He felt foolish indeed, although there was still a little demon insisting that had been one hell of a hot kiss. He told it to shut the fuck up as he raised one hand aimlessly. “Uh, I guess I really screwed up about that. You said there was something else?”

“I was just thinking that maybe this was a good example to remind the both of us that we had other lives before we met each other.”

“Other lives?”

“Aye. Different experiences, knowing different people, being somebody different ourselves, for a lot of years. ‘Tis the sort of thing you don’t always think about until a piece of that pops up like a jack-in-the-box and maybe throws you for a loop. Like today. I’m sure we’ve both got things we don’t know about each other that might come up.” Qui shrugged. “Just a thought to be keeping in the backs of our heads and another reason to be asking questions if we don’t understand something going on.”

“That makes sense.” Ben reached to draw Qui forward and hold him. He rested his head on Qui’s chest. “Sometimes I feel like I’m never going to get this love and ‘relationship’ stuff right.”

“Aye, ’tis hard.” Qui gave Ben a squeeze before tilting his head up for a quick kiss. “But we’ll be having a lot of years to work on it. For now, boyo, I’m thinking we’d better be getting our sorry arses back to work before Sandy comes looking for us.”

*** *** ***

The weather had been holding up nicely for the last few days, so Ben had ridden Myrna to work. The afternoon was bright with sharp winter sunshine and Ben had given in to the temptation to take his beloved motorcycle for an extra spin before heading up the long driveway to Jane’s house. Myrna’s rumbling growl told him she was just as happy as he was with their outing. He was a bit pleased to see that Qui’s battered truck was not in its covered parking spot as he came to the top of the driveway. Ben was still feeling stupid about the episode of jealousy at UPA the previous day, despite Qui’s assurances that their love remained strong after they finally got home again. Unfortunately, it had been well after midnight and Ben’s regret lingered over not having been able to do anything for Qui other than a quick kiss.

Ben put Myrna in the garage. He made a mental note that it was time for another cleanup of the place and stopped in the kitchen to make a cup of hot chocolate and peruse his mail before going to the basement – nothing yet from the university about his admission application, but he’d been here long enough to land on some advertising lists and start accumulating junk mail. Ben had changed his boots for sneakers and was at his desk waiting for the phone line to be free so he could dial in and check his email when he heard Qui come in.

“How’s my boyo doing on this fine Saturday evening?” Qui pulled Ben up from his chair for a long kiss.

Ben held his mate close, ignoring the jab of the heavy equipment belt around Qui’s waist. “Pretty good. I was able to get in some time with Myrna today, so that was great. And Kaz showed me some pisser welding stuff at work, so that was fun.” Ben hesitated a moment before continuing in almost a mumble into Qui’s shirt. “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday at UPA and being such an ass.”

“Ben, love, don’t be fretting yourself.” Qui pulled back enough to lift Ben’s chin up enough to kiss his forehead. “If ye’ve still got questions, I’ll be happy to talk it out, but don’t let it linger too long.” He caressed the side of Ben’s face. “Have you been keeping up with your journal, boyo? Writing it out can help sort your mind.”

“Umm, right.” Ben made a wry grimace. “I am kind of behind on that. If you still have to work tomorrow, that’s probably a good time to start getting caught up.”

“Aye, but I don’t have to be going in until nine if you’d like to get in a tai chi session in the morning. Which is after reminding me, there’s a big do at the university the last Saturday in April. It’s International Tai Chi Day, and they’re inviting everyone out to the football field to participate if you’d like to come.”

“Pisser. If I don't have to work that day it sounds good. Speaking of April and Saturdays and working, have you heard anything about the 14th….”

“Jaysus, my brain’s a sieve.” Qui grinned as he smacked his forehead. “As long as no emergencies pop up, the boss said I can have both days. And even better, the Friday before is a ceile night, so I was thinking we could go out to Tommy Connall’s pub, sleep in Saturday and have the rest of the weekend to ourselves.”

“That will be wicked great. I really enjoyed it last time we went.”

Qui had a mischievous half-smile as he poked Ben’s shoulder. “Sure you won’t be glowering in the corner if I dance with some pretty ladies?”

“Hey, you can dance with every man, woman and dog in the place if you want, ‘cause I get you all to myself on Saturday night.” There was a glint in Ben’s eyes. “And I DO have plans for your birthday night, so make sure you’re taking your Vitamin E.”

“I’ll be looking forward to seeing if you can keep up, boyo.” Qui smothered Ben’s laugh in a kiss.

As they broke from the kiss, Ben held Qui close. “Speaking of keeping up,” he said softly, “it’s still kind of early, my studly ranger, so we’ve plenty of time after dinner this evening. I want to make it up to you for being such an entire tool yesterday.” He lowered his voice to a throaty growl. “How about we get out the toy box and you can do whatever you like to have your wicked way with me?”

“You know you don’t have to be doing that, right?”

Ben heard the words but felt the sudden intake of breath as Qui’s chest moved. He leaned back, his hands on Qui’s shoulders. “It’s because I know I don’t HAVE to, that I WANT to do this for you.” He slowly ran his tongue across his upper lip and did his best Elvis Presley lip curl. “Unless you don’t wanna a piece of this hot ass…”

Qui’s nostrils flared and his eyes darkened. “Be careful what you ask for, laddybuck,” he growled. “If I let that tiger loose, you’ll surely be getting more than you’re bargaining for.”

“I told you a while ago I like my men strong.” Ben let his tone become a challenge. “I want you, and I want to know in the morning that you gave me a hot, rough ride.”

“You’ll be after getting a ride, alright, you snarky little bastard.” Qui reached out, grabbed Ben’s shirt and pulled him close. “You understand what a safeword is?”

Ben gulped at the sudden heat in his gut. “Oh, yeah.” He gave a cheeky grin. “Sounds like we’re in for an adventure tonight.”

“Here’s the deal. You’re mine tonight, whatever I want.” Qui waited for Ben’s nod. “You give me your safeword. Anytime you’re not comfortable with what’s going on, you use the damned safeword and I’ll stop, no pressure and no recriminations. No macho bullshit, and that condition is not negotiable.”

“Got it. Safeword. Use it. No problem.”

Qui finally released Ben’s shirt and stepped back. He glanced at his watch. “Here’s the plan. Dinner should be on around six. I’ve got dishes tonight, so after we eat you are to come down here and get cleaned up. By seven, you will be in our bedroom with the door closed. You will be wearing jeans, no underwear, an old t-shirt you don’t mind getting torn, and white socks. You will stand just inside the door until I tell you to come out. From that point forward you will do whatever you are told. The only words you may use are yes, sir, no, sir, I don’t understand, sir or the response to a specific question. You need to have picked out a safeword by then, because we’re not going any further until I have that. Questions?”

“That sounds pretty straightforward.” Ben grinned. “I don’t suppose I get to ask what happens after seven?”

“Now what would be the fun in that, boyo?” Qui gave his mate a light kiss on the nose. “How about I put away my gear and you get that box so I can start sorting things out.”

Ben retrieved the toy box from under the bed and took it to their table, where his mate was waiting.

Qui opened the box, pulled the inventory list out and began reading it.

Ben floated about aimlessly, trying not to stare as Qui occasionally nodded or gave a little half-smile. At a quarter to six, he gave up and went to the kitchen to start setting the table and laying out beverages and condiments. All through the mundane tasks, he could feel a faint quiver in his gut as a parade of possibilities ran through his head about the coming evening.

That quiver stayed with Ben during their meal. He envied Qui’s apparently carefree demeanor and did his best to keep up with conversations, but he was glad when they finished. Ben complimented Jane on the meal, much of which he didn’t actually remember eating, and slipped away down the stairs at twenty to seven. He opted for a quick shower before returning to the bedroom.

Ben was still thinking about a safeword as he dug out his tightest pair of jeans, a ratty old white t-shirt and a pair of white gym socks. He finally opted to go with ‘Legolas’, as he thought it quite unlikely that the name of the elf was something he would ever say during sex. Ben finished tugging on the jeans, being very careful in closing the zipper since he had no shorts on, put on the socks and t-shirt, then realized he still had seven minutes to go.

It was the longest seven minutes Ben felt he had ever endured. His thoughts kept turning and lurching about with speculation and anticipation. Ben was fairly certain that some sort of bondage would be involved from the directions he had been given – that thought sent the quiver inside him to high speed, so much so that he surprised himself with the degree of excitement he felt. It was hard to stay still. He paced around the limited space, but kept a careful ear out for any indication that Qui was returning. With a minute to go, Ben stationed himself near the closed door and shifted back and forth.

The clock on his desk turned from seven to a minute past, then another minute. Ben flexed his hands as he twisted his head between the door and the clock. “Where the hell is he?” muttered Ben.

Finally, Ben heard their basement open and close, the click of the lock and bootsteps. His breathing quickened as he heard various vague sounds. His nerves were wound up so much he jumped when a single knock on the door was followed by the door being pushed open. Ben straightened his shoulders and clenched his jaw so he wouldn’t inadvertently speak.

Qui stood in the doorway, letting his gaze travel from Ben’s face, down to his feet and back up. He was dressed in dark blue jeans, red polo shirt, wide brown leather belt and sneakers. He stepped forward to within a foot from Ben.

“What is your safe word?”

“Legolas.” He belatedly added a “sir” as he saw one of Qui’s eyebrows go up halfway.

“You’d best be quicker than that if you know what’s good for you,” came the deep whiskey grumble.

Ben swallowed hard, feeling his cock swelling in its tight confines. “Yes, sir.”

“Legolas is your safe word.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You understand that I am going to do things to you that you might not like or might be painful. You will use that safe word if, at any time, you are not comfortable with anything that is taking place.”

“Yes, sir.” Ben reminded himself to keep breathing. He didn’t know what his mate had in mind, but he was eager to find out.

“Follow me.” Qui turned and went out the door.

Ben followed a bit awkwardly, but his pants were so tight he could barely walk if he ignored the discomfort.

“Stop.”

Ben found himself standing in the open area between the bedroom and the sofa. He allowed himself a quick peek at the table, but whatever was laid out on it was under a towel.

Qui made two very slow circuits around Ben. Qui stopped directly in front of him, nodded once, before moving close enough to almost touch him. He ghosted the tip of one finger down the side of Ben’s face, making him shiver. Qui leaned in even closer and gave a short lick to the edge of Ben’s ear.

Ben’s cock tried to jump, but finding no room it was just painfully constricted.

“You are mine tonight, boy,” whispered Qui. “Your sorry arse is mine, your miserable little cock is mine, your mouth is mine and anything else I want is mine whether you like it or not. Do you understand that, boy?”

Ben barely managed to croak a pathetic, “Yes, sir.” He was feeling scared, excited and wanted much more of whatever Qui had in mind, even if he didn’t understand why he was so turned on. That voice alone was enough to make his guts churn.

Qui stepped away, seemed to study Ben’s face for a long moment before nodding once more. He returned to the table. He pulled the towel off and dropped it on the chair, then picked up several items and went back to Ben.

Ben’s eyes shot open as Qui silently put the wrist restraints on him. The black leather was wide and heavy, with three rings around the middles and sheepskin linings. He tried to sort out his feelings about this new development and decided he was both thrilled and anxious about what was happening. Ankle restraints of the same style were next. A leather collar followed, with a single ring in front. Ben shuddered as the collar tightened briefly before lying a little loosely around his neck – his breathing quickened and he had to concentrate on slower, deeper breaths. Ben swallowed hard when Qui pulled a chain leash from a pocket and clipped it to his collar so it hung straight down in front almost to his knees.

Qui stepped back, crossed his arms and watched Ben for a few minutes before fetching more items. This time he walked directly behind Ben and stopped.

Ben felt his arms being pulled behind him, then heard two metallic clicks. When his arms were released he found that a foot-long chain connected his wrists. It was long enough to be noticeable but not uncomfortable. He looked down and realized that Qui had attached another chain to his ankle restraints.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Qui was back in front of Ben and looking at his crotch.

Ben decided the question was rhetorical and wasn’t meant to be answered. The trouser snake trying to escape was pretty damn obvious and getting increasingly uncomfortable.

“Tell me, boy, do you think I should do something about your little problem down there?” Qui’s face was expressionless, but the tone of his voice was vaguely amused.

Ben’s voice stuck in his throat as he tried to swiftly figure out the safest answer. Finally, he flipped a mental coin and got out a partially strangled, “Yes, sir. Please, sir.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Qui stepped forward and lightly cupped Ben’s bulge. “I did not tell you that you could use those words, boy. But since you did try to ask nicely, I am going to take care of this. For now.”

Ben wanted very much to thrust his hips into Qui’s hand, but as he registered Qui’s words he realized that he had screwed up and that Qui’s definition of ‘taking care of the problem’ was not very likely to match his own. He almost compounded his error by opening his mouth to speak, but the look Qui gave him sent all such thoughts straight out of his head.

Ben licked his lips as he watched Qui sort through various items on the table until he found one he apparently wanted. Ben had only a glimpse of some sort of leather straps as Qui came back toward him. He could feel beads of sweat starting to gather on his forehead.

Qui moved in so close their chests were almost touching. He leaned in and licked the sweat from the side of Ben’s face where a drop had started to meander down. He leaned back. “Tasty. I shall have to keep that on tonight’s menu.”

Ben’s knees went weak at the contact and he had to force himself to keep breathing.

“Don’t move.”

Before Ben could finish processing that order, Qui had reached down and opened the zipper of his jeans in one swift yank. Some pubic hairs went along for the ride, but the short stab of pain was immediately soothed away by the touch of Qui’s hand on his hot flesh. Ben looked down and had to tamp down a moan as he watched Qui ease his cock through the opening in his pants.

“Let’s just be fixing this, then.”

Ben’s buried moan almost became a whimper as he felt Qui’s hand squeeze his erection until it subsided. He came to within a hair’s breadth of letting that whimper escape as Qui wrapped a leather cock ring around the base of his organ, snugging it tight and snapping closed another piece that went between his balls. Qui followed that by caressing Ben’s cock, light strokes that soon had his organ straining at its new bonds.

“That should take care of things for a bit.” One corner of Qui’s lips curved upward a few degrees as he gathered the leash into one hand. “Let’s go for a little walk.” He tugged slightly on the leash as he headed toward the fireplace.

Ben had no choice but to waddle forward, staying one pace behind Qui until they stopped. The area between the sofa and fireplace had been cleared.

“Open your mouth.” Qui waited a moment for compliance. He wrapped the leash three times around Ben’s cock, then put the leather handle of the leash in Ben’s mouth. “Don’t drop that. Now, walk back and forth from wall to book case and back to the wall until I tell you to stop.” Qui seated himself on the sofa, arms spread out along the back.

Ben began a careful shuffling, his steps constrained by the chain linking his ankles. The leather in his mouth was smoky dusk and the chains on his ankles, wrists and the leash clinked. His erection bobbed with every step and the links of the leash rubbed against the soft flesh. If he thought about it, the display he was putting on should have been humiliating, but instead he was finding it incredibly hot that Qui was watching him. His blood was running fast, and he was starting to get a little more confidence in his role. By his third trip across, Ben got a little more daring and began lifting his head a bit – the motion caused his cock to move even more, and he added a small shake of his rear. He kept one eye on Qui, who had not moved, but Ben was certain he saw at least one hand twitch.

Ben had just reached the wall when a sudden weight behind him pushed him against the hard surface. He grunted as his cock was mashed between his body and the wall.

“Think you’re a cheeky little snot, do ya?” rumbled Qui into Ben’s ear as he kept him in place. “You’ve no idea what you’re playing at.”

Ben grunted again as he was grabbed by the back of his jeans and an arm around his upper body. He felt himself dragged along the wall, then was put down and shoved forward.

“Drop it.” Qui pulled the leash handle from Ben’s mouth but left the chain wrapped around his cock.

“Listen good, boy. I’m pissed off at what you did yesterday. Snarling and snapping at me ‘cause you couldn’t be bothered to ask a question.” Qui pulled Ben’s t-shirt up from his back and draped it over the top of his head, making it a blindfold. “Yer going to be getting a chance to think about what ya did. What it meant for both of us. And why you’re going to let me fuck you into next week.” He reached around, unbuttoned Ben’s jeans and pulled them down to just below the curve of his rear. He pushed Ben forward. “Put your nose in that corner, boy.” He kicked Ben’s legs as far apart as the chain would allow. “I’m going to go enjoy the view of that pretty little arse. You’ll be allowed out when I’m good and ready.”

Ben felt cool air fill the void where Qui had been standing, wisping across his bare ass where the wrist chain now lay. He was still hot, his cock still erect, but with his eyes covered the edge of his excitement was a little sharper, his focus already narrowing to his immediate situation. He leaned forward to keep his face and shoulders in contact with the walls.

Over the next few minutes, nothing seemed to be happening. Ben heard a bottle opening and a weight settling onto the sofa, acutely aware that Qui was watching him. His breathing slowed. His pulse began dropping back to normal. He shifted minutely to get more comfortable, trying not to let any chains rattle. Without any stimulation, physical or emotional, his erection started to subside a bit despite the cock ring.

Ben became hyper-aware of himself in the dark silence of his willing imprisonment. Every breath seemed harsh in his ears, the sweat on his face dried and felt itchy, the restraints on his ankles and wrists felt heavy. Not able to move physically, Ben turned his energy inward, heeding Qui’s command to think.

He had already apologized for his jealousy-driven stupidity, but felt Qui wanted him to dig deeper. What was the real issue in their relationship that he needed to understand?

Okay, the jealousy was a specific issue - it applied to him, but could hurt them both. Knowing that they each had things in their past that could be potential issues… alright, that was a thing but there wasn’t much he could do about it. But Ben had recognized his jealousy last night and had… had done what about it?

He had just left. It’s what he didn’t do that was the problem. Qui was right; he should have asked or said something at the time instead of just letting the damned problem fester. Why didn’t he?

Ben shifted his weight a little as he pondered the question. The movement was enough to move the wrist chain against his bare ass. That reminded Ben – Qui had told him to think about why he was voluntarily standing here like this. He knew damned well Qui had a wild, rough side sometimes, his ‘fey mood’ as he called it, and yet he had pushed Qui into this. But, shit, even though he was enjoying this far more than he would have thought possible, why? Did he have some need to be punished for what he had done?

That was an interesting line of thought. Just what exactly did he think he needed to be punished for? And how was that connected to letting Qui get off by doing all this to him? What was the fundamental aspect of their relationship that he had violated?

The answer flared up with an obviousness that made Ben want to hit himself in the head. They’d talked about this before and he thought he had understood, but apparently it had not yet stuck hard enough. It was about respect and trust.

He cursed himself out for being ten kinds of a stupid idiot. He hadn’t respected their relationship enough to trust Qui when he saw him kissing Rebecca Barklay. Hadn’t respected or trusted either of them enough to ask about what he had seen. And if he did have a need to do more than just verbally apologize, why was this way of doing it feeling right?

Because he trusted Qui. Trusted him enough to know that no matter what Qui did to him tonight, he would play the game and even welcome whatever happened because his lover would never take him further than he could stand; his safeword gave him ultimate control. Even knowing that at some point Qui was probably going to pound him into the mattress so hard he couldn’t walk, dammit, they both wanted it that way tonight.

Ben was not even aware of the smile on his face or how his whole body relaxed, releasing the tension he’d been unconsciously holding. His body was cooling, but inside was a warm contentment of understanding and anticipation of the rest of their evening.

Ben almost jumped when his near-reverie was interrupted by an arm around his chest pulling him tight to Qui.

“Jaysus, boy, you’re fecking slow. You finally getting a clue?”

“Yes, sir. Respect the relationship and trust each other, sir.”

“My turn for some fun now, boy.”

Qui pulled Ben back several feet. He removed the chain between his ankle restraints, pulled his jeans down and worked them off his feet, then snapped the chain back on. He kicked Ben’s feet back out to the limit of the chain.

Ben could feel his pulse already picking up from the manhandling. He still couldn’t see, but was aware of when Qui stood up and seemed to be walking around him. He almost jumped again when two large hands grabbed his ass and began kneading roughly. Without words, Qui moved on, alternating light touches with scrapes of a fingernail. Ben felt sparks growing in his belly as Qui tweaked and pulled his nipples into hardness, then removed the leash encircling his organ.

A hand wrapped around his head and pulled him into a crushing kiss. Qui’s tongue raped his mouth as one hand fondled his cock into aching hardness. Ben could barely breathe from the pressure and tried to press his body closer to Qui. He held back a whimper when Qui suddenly released him.

Ben blinked as the t-shirt was ripped from him and he could see again. Tattered remnants of the shirt and the white socks were all that he was still wearing. The chain leash dangled straight down and rubbed against his cock as he took a half step backward. He was gasping for breath from the long kiss.

“Get me a beer, boy.” Qui flicked the tip of Ben’s erect cock. “And don’t be taking all night about it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ben was starting to feel a little frisky again and was well aware that Qui was watching his every move, but it was almost freaking impossible to walk sexily with a foot of chain between his ankles. He settled for a shuffle with a bit of hip sway until he got to their small refrigerator next to Qui’s desk. Shit, he thought, how the hell do I manage this? He turned around, knelt so he could get his hand on the door to open it. Once he had the door open, he backed into the fridge, groped around until he could grab a bottle. He snuck a glance at Qui and was irritated by the half smirk on his face. Ben heaved himself upright, used a knee to close the door and shuffled back Qui, careful to hold the cold bottle away from his ass.

“Well?” Qui stood with arms crossed.

Ben turned around and presented the bottle to Qui. He stiffened when Qui rubbed the cold glass down his back and between his crack.

“Turn around.”

Qui tweaked Ben’s nipples again, rubbed the bottle up Ben’s belly and against his nipples, smiling as Ben sucked his gut in. He opened the bottle and fondled Ben’s cock as he took a sip.

“Would you like a drink, boy?”

“Yes, sir.” Ben warily watched as Qui took a long pull.

Qui put his hand around Ben’s head and pulled him forward into a kiss again.

The taste of Qui and beer filled Ben’s mouth. He surged forward, trying to get more body contact, almost choking as he tried to swallow the beer without losing Qui’s mouth. He was gasping for breath again when Qui released him and stepped back.

“Such an eager little slut.” Qui flicked the end of Ben’s cock again. He shoved the end of the leash back in Ben’s mouth. “Take yourself for a little walk so I can admire the goods.” He slapped Ben’s ass before going to sit on the sofa.

Ben made a couple of circuits back and forth, stopping in the middle as Qui directed him to turn and bend over, then walk another circuit. He stopped and faced his still fully dressed mate, his face sweaty and red from his exertions and embarrassing flopping of his cock, but hips defiantly thrust forward.

“Definitely a hot slut.” Qui snorted a laugh. “Needs a little decorating, though, I’m thinking.” He pawed through a small pile of items on the sofa. “This will do for a start.” He grinned as he looked at Ben. “Always wanted to try toys like this. Drop the leash and get your sorry arse over here, boy.”

Ben let the leash handle go and slid forward until he was standing directly in front of Qui, trying to see what was concealed in his hands.

“This is for your backside.” Qui pulled an object from a baggy full of crushed ice and held up the largish silver metal butt plug with a blue crystal in the base.

Although the concept was interesting and set off more sparks inside, Ben was in a mood to push back and see what happened. He stuck his jaw out and sneered. “That fucking thing’s not going anywhere.” His expression clearly said, “Make me.”

“Now that was a mistake you’ll be regretting for a while, boy,” said Qui very softly.

Before Ben could react, he found himself lying face down over Qui’s lap. His legs dangled from one side, his manacled arms were shoved up his back and his cock was wedged between Qui’s legs. The rough cloth of his mate’s jeans rubbed against his skin. The only advantage to his precarious position was that he could feel the bulge in those jeans.

“Disrespectful sluts get put in their proper place.”

Ben felt the first slap of a bare hand on his ass and gasped. Fuck, that hurt!

The bare hand continued its work slowly but diligently, alternating between cheeks, top, middle and bottom. Ben tried to wiggle, but Qui held him down with an arm across his back. Ben lost track of the count after the first three sets on each side.

“Owww! Please, sir!” howled Ben. He could feel his ass burning and was sure it must be bright red by now. Sweat running down his face and snot dripped from his nose. Oddly, the pain seemed to be shifting into a weird, almost pleasurable feeling deep in his gut, but that was something that could definitely wait until later to explore.

“Please, sir… I’ll be good, sir.” He was grabbing for breath now, trying to raise his head and chest to get more air.

The pounding stopped and was replaced by soothing circles on his lower back. Ben lay limp, breathing hard. The circles on his back stopped and a hand began smoothing a cool lotion over his ass.

“You’ll wear what I say, when I say, boy.”

“Yes, sir.” That response got his arms lowered from their strained position. He let the wrist chain rest just above his painful rear as his breathing was finally getting to something resembling normal. Ben was almost enjoying what Qui was doing to his upturned rear and felt his face turning to a pout when Qui stopped.

“Unghghg!”

One large, very slick finger was in his ass and Ben squirmed.

“Hold still.” Qui administered four sharp slaps to Ben’s rear. “Move again and it’s another dozen.”

“Yes, sir.”

A very large dollop of cold lube was shoved in his hole. One finger worked it in, quickly joined by a second, both in all the way past the second knuckle.

“That’ll do for a start.” Qui began leisurely finger-fucking Ben. “Slut’s got a right tight arse.”

Ben did his best to hold still, but couldn’t stop the grunts and moans that came out as Qui periodically forced his finger in further and raked his prostate. Fortunately, Qui didn’t seem to mind the noise. His cock was achingly hard, and sweat was once more running down his face. A forlorn groan slipped out when Qui removed his finger.

Qui grabbed Ben’s collar with one hand and held him still. In his other hand was the butt plug, a few ice chips sliding off.

“This is going in now, boy. Don’t let it fall out.”

“Yes, sir.” Ben swallowed hard and tried to relax his sphincter to ease the entry of the intruder. He grunted when Qui worked it in. Damned thing is fucking cold. He felt the widest part pop past his muscle and slide home. The base was oval, the edges rounded, and lightning shot up his spine when Qui moved it around.

“Up.”

Ben struggled to obey from his awkward position so Qui lifted him and put him on his feet. Ben felt weak-kneed as he rose, and the anal plug shifted inside him. His breathing hitched as Qui took the leash and walked him around the room, the plug moving with every step. He became so absorbed in the new sensations that he almost ran into Qui when his mate abruptly stopped in front of the sofa.

“It’s entirely too much fun you’re having, boy. Time to be earning your keep.”

Qui sat down on the sofa, legs wide. He tugged Ben’s leash. “On your knees.” He tugged again after Ben had carefully assumed the new position, pulling Ben in closer. Qui tossed the leash handle aside, then unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped the fly. He carefully eased his partial erection into the open air.

“Get busy,” growled Qui.

A shiver went down Ben’s spine as he moved in as far as he could against the edge of the sofa and took his first long lick of Qui’s cock. Multiple sensations washed over him as he began a campaign to bring Qui to orgasm – heat from the feel of the soft skin under his tongue, lust at being naked and chained between his mate’s clothed legs, sparks as he wiggled his ass to feel the plug shift inside him.

Ben felt Qui’s cock quickly growing long and hard under his enthusiastic licking and lapping. He alternated long strokes with quick dabs of the wet precum pearling at the tip, then tilted his head to let the erection slide along his sweaty face as he delved underneath to mouth and suck alternate balls, the musky scent filling his nose. Ben had to pull back to drag in more air, but quickly returned to the attack. He slurped several long strokes then tried to inhale as much as he could of Qui’s cock.

Ben choked a little when a hand grabbed the back of his head and held him. Qui’s cock pushed in and out, fucking his mouth. Ben’s own cock burned with suppressed desire as Qui’s hips rocked, moving Ben’s body and the erection trapped between Ben’s body and the sofa. Moans filled the air from both men.

“Noooo,” whimpered Ben when he was abruptly pushed back onto his haunches. Drool and pre-cum dribbled down both sides of his mouth. He rested his head against one of his mate’s knees, shivering with fiery need.

“Jaysus.” Qui was breathing heavily, his face beaded with sweat. He squeezed his eyes shut as he was clearly fighting to regain control. Several deep breaths, then his eyes opened. Qui petted Ben’s head. “Jaysus,” he repeated, “such a hot fucking slut.”

Qui stood, pulled Ben to his feet, then slung him over one shoulder. He turned off the lamp beside the sofa. Long strides took them toward the bedroom.

Anticipation was replacing the emptiness of the aborted blow job inside Ben. He reveled in the strength of his dominator even as he felt blood flowing to his head hanging upside down.

Qui tossed Ben onto the bed. He took a small towel and wiped Ben’s face clean before propping him up with his ass in the air and his head supported by a pillow.

“Stay.” Qui gave Ben’s ass two smacks for emphasis.

“Yes, sir.” Ben watched avidly as Qui deliberately pulled his clothes off, tossing them piece by piece toward the desk chair. He licked his lips as the magnificent erection was fully unveiled, standing proud and tall.

Qui moved to the side of the bed. He let a long breath out slowly as his gaze roamed over his captive. “Aye, so hot…” he almost whispered. “So fecking hot.” He leaned over, unhooked the ankle chain, unhooked one end of the wrist chain. Qui flipped Ben over onto his back and quickly attached the wrist restraints together, then linked the two shorter chains and secured Ben’s hands over his head to a ring bolted to the edge of the bed frame. He put a knee next to Ben and leaned over, one hand on Ben’s belly and his face almost touching Ben’s.

“Are ye mine, boy?” Qui’s eyes were dark, almost black in the dim light of the small lamp on the nightstand.

“Yes, sir.”

“What are you wanting, boy?”

“I want you to fuck me, sir. Please ride me hard, sir.”

“Be careful what you wish for, boy.”

Qui lay down next to Ben and let his hands and tongue have free rein over Ben’s body. He licked sweat from Ben’s face as fingers tweaked and twirled hard nubs. He ran his tongue around Ben’s neck and sucked on the ruby nipples as fingers ghosted over his sides and flanks. Qui worked his way along Ben’s legs, touching everything but the cock fighting its restraint. He pushed Ben on his side, massaged his ass and played with the jeweled plug.

Ben was a burning mass of lust. He moaned, wiggled and writhed under the torture of his body, anchored by the chains holding his arms above his head. He rocked his hips as Qui pulled out the anal plug and substituted his tongue. After a thorough rimming, the tongue was replaced by a well-lubed finger. Ben rocked harder as one finger became two, then three. He cried out when the fingers left, and he was turned over on his back again.

Qui put his knees astride Ben’s hips. He leaned down.

Ben almost exploded when Qui’s tongue touched the tip of his aching erection. Hot fingers kneaded his cock, softening it a little from its painful hardness. Qui extended himself above Ben’s body, their erections brushing together. He captured Ben’s head and forced his tongue into his mouth.

Ben bucked as the long, hard kiss went on and on. He tried to pull in air through his nose, gasping for breath, his chest heaving when Qui finally pulled back. His pulse hammered through him and his vision was a red haze for long moments. He was barely aware when Qui turned him over to lie face down.

The tongue circling his anus brought Ben back to thrumming awareness. He tried to push back and was smacked down hard, two sharp cracks on each cheek. Each blow sent a spike of lightning up his spine.

Two fingers with more lube entered him as Ben lay flat, held down by a hand at the small of his back. He moaned, a high-pitched wail when a finger pushed deep and grazed his prostate, pulling back and touching it again several times.

Ben shifted, trying to rub his erection against the sheets as he was momentarily left free. A knee on his upper back put that effort to paid. He perked up, however, when he managed to crank his head up far enough to see that Qui was releasing the chain from his wrist restraints. A moment later the snap hook holding his wrists together was also removed, leaving only the heavy leather in place.

“Time to be paying the piper about your wishes, boy.” Qui pulled Ben’s hips up. “Keep your head down.”

Ben moved his arms in, giving his shoulders some much-needed relief and enabling him to carry part of his weight on his forearms. His heart sped up again when he felt Qui pushing his legs wide and settling in behind him.

“URrnnngghh!” Ben’s voice rose as Qui mounted him, his cock pushing in, slowly but inexorably invading his body until its entire length was buried and Qui’s balls smacked his.

“Bloody fucking hell!” Qui gave his own moan as he stopped, motionless. “My slut has a fucking tight arse!”

Ben closed his eyes and tried to take slow breaths through his open mouth. He wanted to know this moment, to hold it to him, to savor this still serenity before the storm. He was flushed with heat and felt the trickle of sweat on his face, the trace of breeze across his bare skin and the fire from the naked body touching him, inside him, holding his hips in place. Ben shuddered from the intensity of their connection.

The pause did not last long. Qui slowly withdrew until he was just within the edge of Ben’s opening, then went back in to his full length. He repeated the motion, in and out, at a steady pace.

Ben braced his arms and worked to match Qui’s movements, pushing back as he came in and going forward as he came out. He kept his eyes closed, wanting only to feel, to welcome the intruder. The steady rhythm captured him, making his heart pound to its beat.

On and on it went, Qui pistoning in and out, his hips rocking, perspiration dripping down his face, his chest and down his stomach. He grunted as he drove in, his breath coming harder and faster.

Ben’s perceptions narrowed to the cock pounding into him, the hands on his hips, the smack of flesh on flesh at the end of each plunge marking the only time he could sense. He felt one hand reach around him to unsnap the leather cock ring, but the freedom of his erection only enhanced his mood.

The pace suddenly picked up, the beat becoming more urgent. Ben knew in his head that he was being hammered, but his heart and gut welcomed the pillaging, feeding his growing euphoria.

Back and forth. Out and In. Harder… harder… faster.

Moans and breathy grunts punctuated the air, neither man capable of coherent noises.

The rising wave frothed and roared as Ben’s prostate was raked again and again. He could barely hold his position as Qui slammed into him.

Lightning flashed as the tsunami crested. There was no time… no sound… only ecstasy.

When Ben drifted back to awareness, he blinked several times. He was still high as he dragged his attention back to his surroundings. He was lying on his back and somebody was rubbing him down gently with a towel. The white socks and tattered remnants of his t-shirt were gone.

“Qui?”

“Shhhh. Just rest. I’ll take care of you.”

Ben was content to enjoy the remarkable after-glow that seemed to be lasting much longer than usual.

Qui finished cleaning his mate. He then went to each limb, carefully removing the leather restraint, checking for damage, laying on a small kiss and massaging in a cool lotion. When he finished with ankles and wrists, he took off the collar, adding soft caresses with his tongue to Ben’s throat and lips.

“Ben. I need to turn you up on your side so I can finish.”

“Awright.” Ben winced a little as hips moved, beginning to realize how hard he’d been laid into.

“You’ll be sore in the morning, but this will help.” Qui gently rubbed in a soothing balm.

“ ‘At’s nice.” Ben flopped to his back when Qui was finished, nodding off a bit. He was still feeling unusually fine… definitely aware he’d gotten his wish for a hard ride, but after Qui’s unusual ministrations afterward also feeling… he finally decided the word he wanted was ‘cherished’. He filed that away for later examination, happy to just go with it for now.

Qui turned off the lamp, slipped into bed next to Ben and pulled up the covers.

“How are you doing?” said Qui softly.

“Good.” Ben turned his head towards his mate. “That was fucking incredible.”

“No regrets? Any issues with the things I did to you?”

“It was kinda weird, I guess.” Ben drifted a moment. “I think I was really surprised by how turned on I was. I think I want to do it again sometime. Not like all the time, but you know… when it’s right.”

“That’s good. If you’re having anything you want to be talking about after you’ve had time to recover, I’m here for you.”

“Yeah, okay.” Ben grinned a little. “Hey, I trust you. I don’t think I could’ve done tonight without that. I just gotta remember that more often and not be so stupid sometimes.”

“We’ll keep working on that, for both of us.” Qui leaned over and lightly kissed Ben. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Ben snuggled into Qui’s warmth and slipped into contented sleep.

_Finis_

**Author's Note:**

> Story 19 in the Master's Voice series.
> 
> To the beta readers who made this a better story (Merry Amelie, starhunter79, Lady Saddlebred). All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Notes: 1. The primary setting is not based on any actual specific real location or persons but is a composite of possible geography, town features, transplanted state university, etc. 2. The federal agencies mentioned are real but liberties have been taken with some policies, practices and job duties. 3. The base story plus the first eleven sequels constitute what I consider the first story arc of Master's Voice and takes them up to the point in their internal timeline two months after Quilan moved in with Ben. Story 13 begins the next major story arc.
> 
> 4\. It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so here’s a reminder of some of the key characters. Quilan Finn – law enforcement ranger at Keogami National Forest, Ben Kennan – motorcycle mechanic, Jane Brandon – Ben & Qui’s landlady, Rafaela Romero, another boarder at Jane’s house, Celesta (Cel) – Rafa’s horse, Liz and Linda – lesbian friends of Jane, Reverend Charles Jenkins – gay pastor at Jane & Rafa’s church, Frank Mendoza – Ben’s boss at Midway Motorcycles, Maureen Kennan – Ben’s sister, Mattie – university student intern filling in between semesters, UPA - United Public Access program at the university, Sandy Miller - director of UPA audio programs, WCC – Wildlife Conservation Center, Mikhail Petrovich Kuznetsov (Misha) – student at university/friend of Rafa


End file.
